DPS And Attack Animation Damage Point

[Melth]

Since I started world editing, I've wondered how accurate the simple calculation of DPS = average attack damage / cooldown is. The problem lies with the Combat- Attack X - Animation Backswing Point and Combat- Attack X- Animation Damage Point data.

As I understand it the damage point is how much time passes between an attack 'beginning' and the victim taking damage. Typically the default time matches what the attack animation looks like so that damage occurs when, say, a footman actually brings the sword down on the enemy. I have no idea what this number means for a ranged attack though since in that case damage occurs when the projectile hits. Maybe it's the time at which the projectile launches?

As I understand it, the backswing point is how much time passes between the victim of an attack taking damage and the attack cooldown beginning.

Here is one thread in which this was discussed: http://www.thehelper.net/threads/attack-and-spell-point-and-backswing.84819/

If that is correct then the true time between a first attack and a second attack is backswing + cooldown + damage point (in that order I guess). If that is the case, then every DPS calculation people do is wrong and the true DPS = average damage / (backswing + cooldown + damage point)

Can someone shed some light on this? Explaining how attack speed boosts affect DPS in light of damage point and backswing would also be helpful.

 

[Meticulous]

Backswing and damage point are both increased by attack speed increases. The only time they'll interfere with an attack cooldown is if they're higher than the base cooldown.

 

[Maker]

Yes, damage point for melee is the time between starting the attack and the attack connecting, dealing damage. For ranged it is the time between starting the animation and launching the projectile.

 

[Melth]

The only time they'll interfere with an attack cooldown is if they're higher than the base cooldown.

Wasn't entirely sure I understood what you meant, so I've run a whole bunch of tests on what these numbers actually do.

Here's what I found:

1) The true cooldown between attacks is the greater of animation damage point and cooldown.

2) Backswing NEVER affects the true cooldown between attacks. Furthermore, it does NOT seem to be the delay before the unit will do another queued order as some have said. So far as I can tell, it doesn't actually do anything.

So the guy on the helper forum was dead wrong basically, the typical DPS calculation of damage divided by cooldown is mostly right but is wrong if cooldown is actually less than the animation damage point, and you're right about what damage point does but not about backswing as far as I can tell.

 

[Meticulous]

Backswing is an interruptible period, so a new attack will cut it short. A long backswing is mostly noticeable if you attack an enemy who's running away. Your unit will stand there until the backswing ends before chasing - but they aren't forced to stand there, if you re-issue an order they'll interrupt the backswing and move. This is where animation cancelling comes from in things like DotA. Same for cast point backswing.